Appendage pressurization devices comprising artificial muscles

Abstract

An appendage pressurization device includes an appendage strap and one or more artificial muscles communicatively coupled to a controller. Each artificial muscle includes a housing having an electrode region, an expandable fluid region, a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, and an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing. The electrode pair includes a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing, wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state. Actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region. A pressure sensor is communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the pressure sensor outputs a current pressure value to the controller and actuation of the electrode pair is based on the current pressure value.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An appendage pressurization device comprising:
 an appendage strap; 
 a plurality of artificial muscles disposed in the appendage strap and communicatively coupled to a controller, wherein each of the plurality of artificial muscles comprise:
 a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region; 
 a dielectric fluid housed within the housing; 
 an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing, wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, expanding the expandable fluid region; and 
 
 a pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to output a current pressure value to the controller and actuation of the electrode pair is based on the current pressure value; 
 wherein each of the plurality of artificial muscles is independently actuatable between the non-actuated state and the actuated state. 
 
     
     
       2. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first electrode and the second electrode each comprise two or more tab portions and two or more bridge portions; 
 each of the two or more bridge portions interconnects adjacent tab portions; and 
 either of the first electrode or the second electrode comprises a central opening positioned between the two or more tab portions and encircling the expandable fluid region. 
 
     
     
       3. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 2 , wherein the two or more tab portions of the first electrode and the second electrode each include two pairs of tab portions, and the two or more bridge portions of the first electrode and the second electrode each include two pairs of bridge portions, each tab portion diametrically opposing an opposite one of the tab portions. 
     
     
       4. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 2 , wherein:
 when the electrode pair is in the non-actuated state, the first electrode and the second electrode are non-parallel to one another; and 
 when the electrode pair is in the actuated state, the first electrode and the second electrode are parallel to one another, such that the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to zipper toward one another and toward the central opening when actuated from the non-actuated state to the actuated state. 
 
     
     
       5. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive the current pressure value from the pressure sensor; 
 output an updated pressure value to the plurality of artificial muscles; and 
 modify actuation of at least one of the plurality of artificial muscles based upon the updated pressure value. 
 
     
     
       6. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 5 , wherein a consistent amount of pressure at an inner layer of the appendage strap is maintained based upon a feedback loop maintained by the controller in coordination with the pressure sensor. 
     
     
       7. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of artificial muscles are arranged in a stack such that the expandable fluid region of each artificial muscle are coaxially aligned with one another. 
     
     
       8. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of artificial muscle stacks. 
     
     
       9. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing of each of the plurality of artificial muscles comprises a first film layer and a second film layer partially sealed to one another to define a sealed portion of the housing, the housing further comprising an unsealed portion surrounded by the sealed portion, wherein the electrode region and the expandable fluid region of the housing are disposed in the unsealed portion. 
     
     
       10. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 1 , further comprising a first electrical insulator layer fixed to an inner surface of the first electrode opposite the first surface of the housing and a second electrical insulator layer fixed to an inner surface of the second electrode opposite the second surface of the housing, wherein the first electrical insulator layer and the second electrical insulator layer each includes an adhesive surface and an opposite non-sealable surface. 
     
     
       11. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of artificial muscles are arranged in a single layer. 
     
     
       12. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 1 , wherein the appendage strap comprises a first appendage strap and the appendage pressurization device further comprises a second appendage strap comprising one or more artificial muscles. 
     
     
       13. An appendage pressurization device comprising:
 an appendage brace; 
 an appendage strap coupled to the appendage brace; 
 a plurality of artificial muscles disposed in the appendage strap and communicatively coupled to a controller, wherein each artificial muscle comprises:
 a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region; 
 a dielectric fluid housed within the housing; and 
 an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing, wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, thereby expanding the expandable fluid region; 
 
 a pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to output a current pressure value to the controller; and 
 the controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive the current pressure value from one the pressure sensor; 
 output an updated pressure value to artificial muscles, wherein a consistent amount of pressure at an inner layer of the appendage strap is maintained based upon a feedback loop maintained by the controller in coordination with the pressure sensor; and 
 modify actuation of the plurality of artificial muscles based upon the updated pressure value; 
 
 wherein each of the plurality of artificial muscles is independently actuatable between the non-actuated state and the actuated state. 
 
     
     
       14. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the first electrode and the second electrode each comprise two or more tab portions and two or more bridge portions; 
 each of the two or more bridge portions interconnects adjacent tab portions; and 
 either the first electrode or the second electrode comprises a central opening positioned between the two or more tab portions and encircling the expandable fluid region. 
 
     
     
       15. The appendage pressurization device of  claim 14 , wherein the two or more tab portions of the first electrode and the second electrode each include two pairs of tab portions, and the two or more bridge portions of the first electrode and the second electrode each include two pairs of bridge portions, each tab portion diametrically opposing an opposite one of the tab portions. 
     
     
       16. A method for actuating an appendage pressurization device, the method comprising:
 generating a voltage using a power supply electrically coupled to an electrode pair of each of a plurality of artificial muscles, the plurality of artificial muscles being disposed in an appendage strap, wherein:
 each of the plurality of artificial muscles comprises a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region; 
 the electrode pair is positioned in the electrode region of the housing; 
 the electrode pair comprises a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing, and 
 a dielectric fluid is housed within the housing; and 
 a pressure sensor is affixed to the housing and communicatively coupled to a controller; 
 
 applying the voltage to the electrode pair of each of the plurality of artificial muscles, thereby actuating the electrode pair from a non-actuated state to an actuated state such that the dielectric fluid is directed into the expandable fluid region of the housing and expands the expandable fluid region, thereby applying pressure to an inner layer of the appendage strap; 
 outputting, via the pressure sensor, a pressure value to the controller; 
 receiving, from the controller, an updated pressure value at the plurality of artificial muscles to maintain a consistent amount of pressure at the inner layer of the appendage strap based upon the pressure value; and 
 adjusting the actuation of the plurality of artificial muscles to maintain the consistent amount of pressure at the inner layer of the appendage strap; 
 wherein each of the plurality of artificial muscles is independently actuatable between the non-actuated state and the actuated state. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a current pressure value from the pressure sensor; 
 outputting a second updated pressure value to the plurality of artificial muscles; and 
 modifying actuation of the plurality of artificial muscles based upon the second updated pressure value to maintain the consistent amount of pressure at the inner layer of the appendage strap. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising adjusting the actuation of each of the plurality of artificial muscles to maintain the consistent amount of pressure at the inner layer of the appendage strap. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the appendage strap is coupled to an appendage brace.